This information comes out of a Gamasutra report, where it noted that GameStop's stock of 500,000 consoles sold out via pre-orders almost immediately after the purchasing option became available in September.

Nintendo's next-gen Wii expected to sell out: he Wii U, the successor to Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s hugely popular motion-based gaming console, is expected to get off to a faster start than its predecessor, but may have trouble matching the original Wii's long-term success, according to market research firm IHS iSuppli.

IHS (El Segundo, Calif.) forecasts that Will U will sell more briskly in following its launch Nov. 18 than the original did, largely due to pent-up demand from Wii fans. But over the longer term, Will U will need to overcome a fragmented market for gaming and the proliferation of smartphones, tablets and other platforms that support gaming, according to the firm.

Where to find a Nintendo Wii U on Sunday (if you didn't pre-order): The Nintendo Wii U releases on Sunday, November 18, 2012, and you may have heard it’s sold out, like, everywhere. Well, we’re here to say that if you’ve got the determination, there are quite a few stores who will have both the Wii U Standard Edition and the Deluxe Edition in stock. Everyone with whom we spoke emphasized that quantities will be�extremely limited so get there early! Oh, we also found out who�won’t�have them in stock so we could save you a drive and parking lot hell. Yeah, you’re welcome you procrastinators.

Just auctioned the last of the wii u preorders I had (actually had 29 of them, I still have 1, but I'm keeping that one for myself).Sorry I haven't been able to respond personally to any of the comments from the previous posts and the direct messages that were sent were answered as much I could. If I missed you, please feel free to post a comment here or just DM me again. Twitter usually works well too if you happen to be following.Anyway, with all the dust settling, here's the final tally...

29 total Wii U preorders in hand (Sept/Oct)

10 Basic ($299)

12 Deluxe ($349)

28 listed and sold on ebay:

8 were sold for +$300 or more

15 were sold for +$400 or more

5 sold for +$500 or more

Total profit for 28 was $11,400 (this takes into account shipping/handling, tax on the preorders, etc.)

1 for me :) (it's basically free, now)

A few things to note: both deluxe and basic sets sold well, but with relatively slow start at the beginning of the auction (that is expected) with more action at the end. I used 3-day and 7-day auction formats, never used BIN and never had a reserve. 3 and 7 days showed about similar sales figures... it boils down to I think people are looking at auctions ending that day to bid on. One got re-listed because the seller backed out. Thats fine, I actually had a higher final price on the relisting anyway. Had two preorders for games (new SMB), but those don't go for much and should be in stores (somewhat).So, what's next? Well, preorders were just the start. Much of this madness is due to a couple of things: this is the first console in a long time, its Nintendo and the Christmas season. Lots of people are looking for this and they all know that this will not be one of those "pick it up a week before Xmas" thing. From now until *whenever*, there should be a very profitable reseller market... I remember the original Wii (2006/2007) I actually got four at or near launch, sold them for $1,200 but could never got my hands on any more. Never saw them back in stores for a good six or seven months down the line!Its different now days and with online retailers and everything, I'll be looking to buy as many as I can online. I'll post links below if anybody's interested, but basically bestbuy, walmart.com, target, gamestop, etc. are your best bets. They will probably get some stock in throughout the next few weeks. But no guarantees. And no guarantees that if they are in stock, you'll be able to get in before they sell out. If I can get another 20... who knows what they will go for on ebay, could go higher as time runs out before xmas... Another 20 units should move for at least $7500.My advice: Unless you have 20 or 30 preorder slips laying around, use an inventory tracking site to monitor the websites mentioned above. They basically will sell out in minutes, but it is possible to get in during that 10 or 15 minute window IF you get notice when they do. Forget the individual website "email me when in stock" notices. Although they do go out, but they are meant for items that don't sell out in minutes. Usually the earliest you'll get these is an hour or so after they are in stock. Too late for WII U's!The one I used to get my preorder Wii Us was wiiu4me.com and it worked fine. It's normally $19 to get the text and email alerts, but they run codes for $10 off making it $9.99! Try this link for the promo code, if it's still valid: http://wiiu4me.com?promo=SUPERMARIOIt's not really that complicated and takes a little bit of work. It won't last forever and I am not quitting my day job, but it's definitely worth it for now.

The Wii U debuts in the U.S. on Nov. 18 starting at $300, and shortages are likely as the company is expected to sell 3.5 million units this year, according to market researcher IHS Screen Digest. The long-term outlook for the home console and its software isn’t so promising as the world’s biggest maker of video-game machines faces surging sales of smartphones and tablets, which players use for free online games.

Pressure is mounting on President Satoru Iwata to repeat the success of the Wii console after the 3DS handheld player failed to meet sales expectations in overseas markets, prompting the company to cut its profit goal by 70 percent last month. Nintendo and rival console makers Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Sony Corp. (6758) all face increased competition in the gaming market as consumers turn to smartphones and tablets such as Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPad to play free games like “Angry Birds.”

News : As Nintendo Wii U Release Date Nears, Console Pre-order Options Dwindle (11/16 Update)!: As the highly anticipated November 18, 2012 Nintendo Wii U release date approaches, the laws of supply and demand appear to be showing up both in-store and online retailers.� Most online and in-store pre-order options are closed up and not in-stock, leaving one with dwindling options to secure the latest offering from the Big N.� Folks can camp out at release day stores in hopes of grabbing one from the first batch, or simply buying from opportunistic 3rd party sellers on eBay and the like.

With the Wii U launch, Nintendo is offering 2 models with unique options and pricing. The Wii U price for the 8GB Basic Set is $299.99 and includes the white 8GB console, GamePad (white), two AC adaptors, sensor bar and an HDMI cable.� The price for the 32GB Deluxe Set is $349.99 and includes the black 32GB console, GamePad (black), two AC adaptors, sensor bar a sensor bar, an HDMI cable, GamePad cradle, GamePad stand and console stand.

Wii U will be in short supply - Nerd Reactor: With the holiday season approaching and the new consoles starting to get released. Nintendo takes the first shot in the next generation console wars with the�Wii U. And it looks like if you have not reserved your copy of the Wii U already and want to wait until release day to purchase it you will need to wait longer. The Wii U like most consoles or games that is released during the holidays will be in short supplies.

According to the Washington Post, there may be a 6 month sell out before more start reaching stores. This is due to the fact that Nintendo began production “this summer”, according to the Nintendo website.